The United States space programme, he recalled began at the height of the Cold War but was now being used for human advancement and international cooperation. Increasingly, however, the Government was a space consumer rather than a developer.

Since 1996, commercial space revenues have out- paced Government space expenditures, while the commercial space industry spends more to build and launch satellites than the combined budgets of all civilian space programmes worldwide.

Brazil's Ambassador, Sergio de Queiroz Duarte, cautioned that the increasing involvement of the private sector in international cooperative agreements should not be used as tool to increase the gap between developed and developing countries. Rather, broadened participation should strengthen true international cooperation in the use of space as the common domain of humankind, he stressed.

Several speakers highlighted the importance of strengthening the existing legal regime regarding the use of outer space. The Chairman of Pakistan's national space programme (SUPARCO), Abdel Majid, said that progress in international space law had not matched rapid developments in space technology.

The lack of adequate international legal regimes could give rise to difficulties in relations between States. Similarly, Patricia Berman of Australia's Department of Industry, Science and Resources, said that given the pace at which technology was changing, the existing legal instruments must be reviewed to address any existing gaps.

Sweden's Ambassador, Bjorn Skala, stressed the importance of mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes. He called on States which had acceded or planned to accede to existing Conventions to make a declaration on the binding character of arbitral awards. That would strengthen the protection of States themselves and contribute to strengthening the outer space legal regime.

The two-week Vienna Conference is exploring areas in which space science and technology can benefit humankind in the coming century. It is the first United Nations space conference held since the end of the Cold War, and in recognition of the new geo-political and technological realities, it brings together representatives of government, private sector and civil society as partners.

Statements were also made this morning by representatives of Slovakia, Nigeria, Romania, Argentina, Bolivia, Czech Republic and Malaysia. Also, the Conference heard from representatives of INTELSAT, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS).

UN Space Reports at SpaceDaily